The Kansas Motor Carriers Association held their annual Safety Awards Banquet at The Capitol Plaza Hotel where 12 drivers and 21 fleets were recognized for their safety.

Of the 12 drivers, Brian Studley of Wal-Mart Transportation (Ottawa, KS) received the 2013 Kansas Driver of the Year award. Studley has 22 years with no accidents and has logged over 2.6 million safe miles. He was also chosen as a Driver of the Month.

Wal-Mart Stores of Ottawa Kansas received the Fleet Safety Contest award with 3 accidents in 13.4 million miles on Kansas highways. The company has a 0 percent out of service rate in driver inspections.

The award for Safety Professional of the Year went to Terry Budimlija of YRC Freight, Overland Park, KS.

Award winners were chosen by judges from the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Kansas Highway Patrol as well as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Drivers and companies have a combined total of 242 years of experience with over 23 million safe driving miles.

It is said that truck drivers are the backbone of our country. According to KDMC, the industry alone has provided more than 75,000 jobs in Kansas. Nearly 50 percent of communities in Kansas rely specifically on trucks to transport materials.

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